Become an apprentice at Dstl
Earn, learn and grow new skills as an apprentice at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
Start or switch careers by joining Dstl as an apprentice for your chance to make real contributions to critical projects.
We currently have 165 employees undertaking apprenticeships.
What we look for
We look for a genuine interest in the area of study as well as a positive attitude. As an apprentice, we’re not expecting you to have high level technical skills yet, but as we’re potentially investing in you and your training, we want to see a genuine interest and motivation within your application form.
Due to the nature of our work, all applicants must be aged 18 and over when starting the course.
What you get
You get the foundations of a career, variety and genuine pride in what you do. Check out what our current or recent employees have to say about being an apprentice at Dstl.
Apprenticeships at Dstl: Charlotte’s Story
Type of apprenticeships we offer
Each year apprenticeship cohorts include Ordinance, Munitions & Explosives (OME), Software Engineering and Business Analysis.
We offer apprenticeships from levels 3 to 7 (A-Level to Masters) and we can also help you develop through stages too. Many of our apprenticeships opt to do a second, higher level one after completing the first.
At the end of your apprenticeship, you could receive a HNC or even a degree.
Read some of our apprentices’ experiences and how some have gained first class engineering degrees.
When apprenticeships start
Our apprenticeships usually start in September or October (at the beginning of the academic year) but sometimes in January.
All of our opportunities are advertised here and on Civil Service jobs each year from around December to March.
Where you will work
The majority of apprenticeships are based at Porton Down near Salisbury, or Portsdown West near Fareham.
At least 75% of your time will be on site or in a classroom (to enjoy our facilities and the support of your peers!).
During your apprenticeship, you will learn from a blend of formal classroom-based study and hands-on training in our workshops, laboratories and offices, as well as mentoring from our technical experts.
Apprenticeships at Dstl: Stacie’s Story
Be yourself
Entering the workplace as an apprentice may feel daunting, but we want to ease this transition for you. You will be supported at work through our employee networks, your line managers and peers.
You will be encouraged to be yourself at work and be part of our emerging talent community.
Our commitment to embracing difference is reflected in a number of internal support networks aimed at celebrating difference, from our strong LGBTQ+ community, women in the workplace and our enabled group (supporting disability from mental health to neurodiversity).
How much you will earn
Your starting salary will range from £21,131 to £24,511 depending on the apprenticeship level. Apprentices receive annual pay increases and enjoy our full range of benefits.
At the end of the apprenticeship, many people accept permanent roles at Dstl, with the option to progress further with additional training and development.
Find out more about the benefits of working for us, and how we make Dstl a place where everyone can thrive, succeed and achieve their ambitions.
Updates to this page
Last updated 14 March 2024 + show all updates
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Removed links to vacancies which are now closed.
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Engineering Fitter Apprenticeship (level 3) vacancy has now expired.
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Data Scientist Degree Apprenticeship and Network Engineering Degree Apprenticeship vacancies have now closed.
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Updated links to apprenticeships that are currently open for applications.
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Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives Degree Apprenticeship vacancy expired.
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Added new vacancy: Engineering Fitter Apprenticeship (level 3)
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Added 3 new vacancies.
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Current opportunities added: Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives Degree, Business Operations Apprenticeship, Business Analyst Apprenticeship, Facilities Supervisor Apprenticeship
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Apprentice for business operations vacancy has been removed as position is now closed.
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Added link to opportunity for apprentice in business operations.
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First published.